Cage
by moeruhoshi
Summary: Lucy, sold off to the King of Carbuncle, finds her escape from the dreadful clutches of his highness in the arms of a stoic dragon, Natsu Dragneel.


**I HAVE COMISSIONS TO WRITE BUT YOU KNOW ME MY MIND WANDERS**

**Y'all, ****I have been working on this monstrosity for a YEAR. ****it has drained me in every possible way**

**if you follow me on tumblr, I've released this a couple of times for review bc I was just so unconfident in its flow. ****but here we are! ending and all lol**

**I hope you don't mind reading to the end if you've already read this ;-; theres a shit ton i added tho**

**thank you for your patience!**

**BE WARNED **

**there's some...real dirty stuff in this...like...uh...if you ain't that kinky then...uh...**

**If you know me personally (Brenda I'm talking to you if you still read my shit) pfft DON'T READ THIS I feel shaaaame**

**and there's a lowkey _sexual assault_ scene towards the end sooooo**

**it isn't anything too crazy but still, I don't want anyone to be too uncomfortable**

**idk if its even that amaze cuz i never write that kinda shit and prolly never will if the situation doesn't demand it**

**OH and Lucy isn't a princess, it's just a nickname**

* * *

Lucy coughed with a groan, skin sore as she sat on the metal bars of her cage, itchy and annoyed with the dirt-caked and matted hair. The cart rocked as they bumped hole after hole in the road, prisoner groaning as her head hit against the confining pen. Captors laughed at her pain, the blonde rolling her eyes as the cart continued on, eyes cast out on the open forest as she sighed.

It had been almost a week since the head of the Heartfilia family decided to sell his precious daughter, fetching a hefty price for her nobility, purity yet stolen by man, and rare golden hair that shone against the sun. She was beautiful, similar to a star fallen from the heavens, a beauty that no one could so easily procure as she was rightfully stubborn. She yelled at her father for even considering an act so disgusting, servants more than upset their master would sell the lady just to keep his head above water.

He ignored the cries and begs of the staff, and as soon as the buyers arrived, Lucy was dragged away, Jude counting the stacks of bills used to save his company from bankruptcy. It had always been more important to him than her, it had been that way since her mother passed away. She was quickly stripped of her clothing and fineries, only left in a thin white chemise that had been layered under her dress before she was shoved in a cage. Gagged the first night in case she was to cry or scream out for help, they warned her even so much as a peep without their outright permission to speak, they would have no problem disciplining her with electrocution.

They laughed and told her they'd be receiving double what her father was paid, a man in the next kingdom expecting her to arrive by the following week. Supposedly it was a kind gesture for them to share just what a beast her master would be, King Dyst of Carbuncle.

He would and could do anything he wanted, magic like his unseen in many years, showing off their scars to prove its intensity. He collected anyone deemed rare and beautiful, Lucy, a prize he was excited for the chance to obtain, coincidentally after her father lost money investing in a project unknown to him designed to fail. His greed for women knew no bounds, and Lucy would be lucky to know that at least he wouldn't kill her. Starve her? Maybe. Although she was promised a comfortable bed; his that was. They drooled, fantasizing for their king about what the girl would be forced to perform, how she wouldn't even be able to run away from him. How he would have her for the rest of her life; many a man would be jealous of the many the king forced to kneel before him.

Stopping by a river for the night, the three men who held her captive let the water cool and calm their behavior before any ideas about touching the merchandise physically arose, as one so crudely put it. She was let out for a brief moment to clean herself as well, threatened to not as so much think about running away. She wouldn't even if she wanted to, there was no way to defend herself in these woods, after all.

She sunk deeper into the water, knowing the men had their eyes on her back, glad that at least whoever she was being handed over to didn't want a scratch laid on her, hoping they would get their ass handed to them for keeping her in such an uncomfortable cage.

She spent most of her time in the uncomfortably chilly river trying to untangle dirty clumps and wash away the greasy feeling that clung to her scalp, but to no avail without any shampoo. They tossed her an insanely small towel, instructing her to dry off before putting on the same clothes, rudely tossing her back in the cage with only a stale roll for dinner.

Lucy wouldn't cry, wouldn't give anyone the satisfaction of seeing her so weak. The worst lay ahead in Carbuncle, of course, but she would handle it, had to handle it. There was no way she would give up without a fight, waiting for the opportunity to possibly distract someone under the guise of night.

They stopped at the mouth of a nearby cave as the moon rose high, one on watch while the other two slept, Lucy never able to enjoy that luxury in such an uncomfortable position. This man, in particular, found it fun to rattle her cage, trying to tease her into talking to give him a reason to zap her, trying to look up her dress as she was crouched with her legs splayed at awkward angles.

She devised a small plan as the others were deep asleep and the guard in front of her pestered to let him see her underwear. She read about women using themselves, seducing men to get out of sticky situations. Still, she never had the need to try it herself. She pretended to look away shyly, batting a lash as she peeked back at him, the man excited by her behavior, almost jumping up as he viewed her wanton style.

"Those two don't need to know. Let me have a peek, won't you?" He licked his lips as she slowly pulled her legs apart, holding in her blush as the tattered lace attire came into his view. She mentally dry heaved as he gave her a soft moan, the man looking back at his partners to her legs still open. Lucy bit her lip and looked away again as he continued to eye her body. He whispered to her, promising to let her out of the cage if she swore she wouldn't run, his fingers sparking their energy being enough to make her nod. He chuckled to himself as he pulled her out; as long as there wasn't a mark or any visible penetration, he and the maiden could have all the fun they wanted. Pulling her deeper into the cave and away from the light of the fire, he hushed her with an already quick breath, Lucy feeling his excitement on her thigh. This was her chance.

He turned her around, grinding his boner against the plump of her behind, Lucy shivering as his hands came to wrap around the swell of her breasts. He groaned into her ear, telling her how hot she was, tongue disgustingly wet as it dragged across her shoulder blade. Lucy willed herself to turn around, barely able to see his face, but just enough to know what his hands were doing.

Before he could force her onto her knees, she grabbed onto his shoulders and brought her leg forward, striking him where it would hurt most. She cheered as he sunk to the ground, eyes white as he fell, the blonde immediately running as fast as she could. He called out to the others as she ran farther and farther into the cave, waking and sending them right after their stock.

She cried through punctured feet, willed herself to keep running, lack of exercise other than daily horse rides and walks in the garden showed in her amount of stamina. She could hear them close behind her, thankful the darkness was all-consuming, lightning sparking to show them their way. There was no light in front of her, Lucy's only hope for an exit dying as she felt a thick band tie around her ankle, pulling her back towards the three.

"Stupid slut, you'll really get it this time." The one still clutching his sore area hissed, Lucy's eyes widened as he reared a fist to attack her. "I'm sure Dyst won't mind if we had to discipline your unmannered behavior."

Her shriek was silenced as a roaring fire surrounded them, half-circle from behind, the wall stretching to the high ceiling above, sweltering heat instantly consuming the air around. They looked rapidly as the ground began to rumble, noticing the silhouette of a being more than massive as it stood to its feet. Every wall was now licked with a flame, lighting up the rocks with its fierce brilliance.

Lucy's heart pounded in awe of the beast, vibrant yellow eyes glaring down at them, wings unfolding and flapping slightly as they furled, the dust kicking up and into their eyes. His thick red scales glistened against the fire, smoke huffing through his nostrils and curling up to match the shape of his obsidian horns.

"Fuck…" One mumbled, the three backing away and leaving Lucy inches away from his sharper than sharp talons.

"Who is it, foolish enough to enter my cave and disturb my slumber?" The dragon's voice vibrated off the walls, stalactites shaking and falling almost on top of the bandit men.

"Oh, great fire dragon!" The lightning user addressed him dramatically, receiving an elbow in the ribs by one who whispered harshly not to lay it on so thick. "U-Um, we didn't mean to disturb you, so if we could just take our woman and be on our way, we would be ever so grateful, s-sir."

He eyed Lucy with his glare, the girl shaking her head and pleading with her own that he not return her to their hands.

"Your woman?" They nodded in response, the one who wielded her bondage speaking up.

"Precious cargo, she's intended to be delivered to Carbuncle, the king is expecting her arrival."

"So a slave then, hm? Though she barely looks like one, they fed her well," Lucy puffed her cheeks, hoping this dragon did not insinuate just how much more she had on her body. Fed well indeed, and he would be gracious to delight her frame for its curves.

"A-A lady, your beastly-ness… Whom the king has purchased for her fine golden hair," The last explained, shaking and nervous as his sweat overcame him, temperature rising with every passing second.

"Golden…" The dragon mumbled to himself, lowering his head to get a better look at Lucy, the dirt once again itching her scalp and hiding her scent underneath its musk. It was quiet for a few moments, Lucy merely staring back at the dragon as he continued to do the same. He nodded his head as he came to his conclusion, the firewall parting as a makeshift doorway appeared.

"Feel grateful for I shall spare your lives, so long as the lady stays here," Their eyes widened at his statement, the three men stuttering for a rebuttal, unable to leave without her.

"Please, the king will have our heads if we do not deliver her!" The angered grumble the dragon produced was enough to have them running for the hills, Lucy's breath shallow as the fire locked itself again, left in the heat with a practical monster.

"Thank you, I suppose," Lucy spoke up first as she heard their carriage break away from his cave. "But why keep me?"

"You are golden, though you'll need a bath to prove it." She folded her arms at his bold choice of words. "So you belong here,"

"Right..." Lucy barely understood his logic but read once about the dragon's affinity for collecting gold and jewels, and how her hair could vaguely fall under that category. He ushered her to stand up, pointing his snout in a new direction, another cave to their side for them both to walk through. She felt awkward knowing his eyes were on her, her little steps taking forever to get to them where they needed to go.

He grumbled and lifted her by the back of her short dress with the tips of his claws, placing her atop his head before continuing at a much faster rate down to what she learned was a massive underground pool. Lava fountained from the opposite wall, the bath double the size of the dragon himself, Lucy wondering if that was what he used to bathe himself. She was glad the ceiling was so high as well, the heat not as concentrated at it once had been. He turned her to a smaller pool of water, probably a puddle to the dragon, but seemed rather shallow and long enough for one to consider a hot spring. Water trickled from the cave all into the open hole, its overflow evaporating into steam.

"Go ahead and bathe here," He said as he lowered her to the ground, planting himself into a seated position as she turned to face him.

"You wouldn't happen to have soap, would you?" It couldn't hurt to ask, though a dragon probably didn't need to have any lying around. She was surprised as he nodded, his tail swinging above her head as he turned and shook the ground with weighty steps, Lucy waiting anxiously for his return. Her eyes were happy if not for the first time since taken from her home, the dragon dropping a small basket at her feet that just happened to have a high-quality mixture with a towel as well. She thanked him with a bright smile, turning to undress, uncomfortable as his eyes stayed on her back.

"You're...going to watch me bathe?" She asked him sheepishly, groaning as he nodded.

"Who knows what you could do if I look away?" He shrugged his shoulders, Lucy pouting but understood well enough, this was his home after all, and he was kind enough to allow her inside.

Lucy discarded her now crusted slip, tossing it to the side as she covered her chest, removing her underwear as she submerged herself in hot water. She let an unconscious moan slip as the warmth crawled up her body, upset that she had been so starved for such a feeling. It traveled to the center of her bones, relaxing her muscles and washing away the dirt covering her.

"Ah...so warm.." The basket helped her pour water through her hair, maiden sighing as the hot water flowed onto her scalp, Lucy finally content she could have a proper bath. The dragon was quiet, and she barely gave him another thought as she bathed, happy there was a sponge as well to help her clean up.

"Why are you doing that?" He mumbled, curious as Lucy was scrubbing her behind and her shoulder more roughly compared to other parts of her body.

"I was licked and touched by a foul man. I'd rather his germs not on me." She answered him without turning around, shaking the memory from her mind.

"You don't like to be licked?" She glanced over her shoulder with a raised brow, the dragon still sitting as when he came back, his head tilted slightly to the side.

"...Not by those who intend me harm," Straightforward enough; she hoped he would know what that meant, or instead wondered why he would even ask something so strange.

Lucy finished sudsing up, the smell of vanilla and rosewater filling the air as she lathered her roots, content as she finally felt clean. Rinsing off, she wrapped the towel around herself and stood up, idling on the edge of the rock so as not to step back onto the dirt floor without any shoes. She stared up at him with a blush, the dragon lowering his head to better look at her from close up.

"You are very golden," He seemed to purr out the words, dipping his head for Lucy to step onto. She felt more than awkward heaving herself onto his snout, sitting with her legs tight together and holding onto the edge of his scales as he walked back into the cave that had more paths disconnecting from the main one. The blonde gripped her towel close to her chest, shrieking as smoke emerged from his nostrils, almost startling her from her seat. He grumbled an apology, Lucy shaking her head and saying she was okay.

The walk would probably have taken a while if she were doing it on her own, though soon they entered another vast cave, even more extravagant than the one before. Piles upon piles of gold coins, gems, jewelry, spilled onto the floor from the middle to every edge, space lit up by floating flames similarly as when they met. The ground was hidden by expensive-looking carpets, and quilts, stacks of clothing, duvets, and draperies stood at half his height. He walked her through the makeshift path, setting her down in a more barren area, a four-post bed sitting by its lonesome with dressers next to it, and a vanity table by its side as well.

"I'm very impressed, Mr. Dragon. You have a wonderful collection," She smiled as he set her down, a chuckle rose from his throat at her words.

"You may call me Natsu, golden woman." He tried to hide the pride that welled in his chest, his eyes gazing fondly at the medley behind them.

"Then, please call me Lucy." He nodded, the girl turning to look through the wardrobe, surprised to find simple dresses and nightgowns already inside. Drawers attached under the first closet space held several different undergarments, some a little more risqué than what she preferred. Another wardrobe held gowns she would have been instructed to wear while conducting everyday tasks, but not as densely layered as she had known clothing to be.

"Where in the world did you get these? I can't imagine you'd be wearing dresses, hmm?" Lucy chuckled as she changed behind a partitioner, the dragon easily seeing over it.

"I collect things I like," He shrugged. "But my father said I should make room for a princess if I happened upon one I liked."

"You...haven't kidnapped anyone before, have you?" She asked as she stepped around, pulling her hair out of the back of her nightgown, looking at herself in the standalone mirror.

"Princess' don't look at that much like gold," He scoffed, eyes fixated on her hair as she wrung out the dripping water from her ends. "So, no, I haven't."

She nodded, glad that he wasn't a kidnapper and also bewildered by the fact that he was a dragon who listened to his father. Not as though Lucy had met one who didn't, but it still seemed strange.

A bit bummed having to go to sleep with wet hair, Natsu noticed and blew a stream of hot air, Lucy yelping as it suddenly wrapped around her.

"Thank you," She smiled again, fingering her now soft locks, pulling the blankets back on her bed and getting in for the night. She moaned under the feel of such soft furs, the pillows stuffed with feathers that felt plush as she sunk into them. Lucy mumbled a goodnight as her fatigue finally took her, a peaceful night finally had after such long hours trapped in a cage. Natsu perched himself atop the mountain of gold, eyes fluttering shut, and fire put out as he fell asleep along with her.

There wasn't a day that Lucy could consider life to be normal, generally spending her moments being carted around by a dragon. She often woke up to breakfast already at the end of her bed, but Natsu would be sound asleep by the time she was up; though it was more strange how well the meal was presented to her, in a tray and on a plate, everything cooked to somewhat near perfection. The same would occur with her lunch and dinner, always appearing after her time spent wandering Natu's hoard or after her bath.

She was suspicious of him, but who wouldn't be wary of the gigantic beast that could literally eat her if he felt like it. They only left the center of his hoard when Lucy needed a bath, the dragon soaking in the lava pit she thought he would while she leisurely swam around. He rarely ever let her out of his sight even when she was changing, which Lucy frowned at, but he was a dragon.

As if he cared what the girl looked like. She ventured further through his hoard, finding more ball gowns and blankets, each material finer than the last. She dressed in them and picked out jewelry, twirling around and showing off to Natsu as he seemed to enjoy those moments, especially. He would get a particularly pleased look in his eyes when she did, unbeknownst to Lucy just how much he adored her wrapped in the bounty of his collection. She was part of his hoard now, an exquisite piece whom he bristled with pride and possession strong in his heart as he admired her.

She attempted to lay against a pile of gems or gold, unable to understand just how comfortable Natsu was able to get when he slept on top of it. He shrugged, scales tough enough to ignore their roughness, and slept soundly knowing his things were as close as they possibly could be. There was something akin to instinct telling him what to do when it came to her needs, the dragon instant in providing her whatever she asked for. He made the meals she was always surprised to see show up, having yet to share his human form. Natsu probably wouldn't have cared either way, but there was a part of him hesitating to show her. Lucy presented the dragon with many a feeling new to his heart and instincts could only help him so much.

Although it had been a long time since she was able to take a proper walk outside, she complied with his rules that he didn't want her to go out, that her place was in his cave. And the look in his eyes didn't seem like something she could argue with.

When Lucy got tired of the endless dressing up, she asked Natsu if he had any books.

"Books? Sure, there's a whole library down that way," He gestured one night as they walked back from the bath, Lucy sputtering as smacking Natsu's scales for it taking him this long to tell her he had a collection as well. Maybe she was also at fault, having spent almost a month in his cave without thinking to ask for a book.

A grin so wide it felt like it was splitting her cheeks, Lucy shrieked at a humongous lot of books, one after one, stack after stack, most placed in old shelves but the rest eventually scattered into piles. Enough books to last her a lifetime and then some, so many more than the library at home could ever hope of obtaining.

"Do you like books?" His question seemed unneeded as Lucy ran through the room, more carpets hiding the dirt floor, which she much appreciated.

"More than anything in the world," She sighed, running her fingers across the spine of a collection of fairy tales. "Would you like me to read to you?"

Days both consisted of their time in his hoard, and now in the room filled with books, Natsu curled as Lucy laid against him, the blonde cozying against the length of his neck as he listened intently to the tales she spun.

Some days he would leave to go hunting, Lucy upset she could never join him, almost tired of the growling she received when she asked.

"You belong in here," Steam would pour from the corners of his mouth, Lucy always pouting with a hand on her hip, insisting that she needed sunlight at some point, that she would not live her life as a vampire all the way down in his caves. His glare always won, Lucy lonely until his return, her life missing something she didn't know much about needing.

When her dragon was gone, she would look for a book she could read to herself, away from Natsu's prying ears; a tale of love.

Now since he was at least a hundred feet tall and a different species, Lucy and Natsu couldn't be together, she rightfully concluded, not assuming that she had wanted to be with him. He saved her from a harrowing situation like most love interests did when they met by chance, but he was still a fire-breathing dragon. The dragon had a good personality (for the most part), laughed and chatted with her, kept her warm and fed, had an endless bounty she could take from, and he couldn't have seemed happier when she did.

There were times she felt his eyes lingering, Lucy looking over her shoulder to see that he kept quite an intense stare as she bathed. It was embarrassing, but he was a dragon, a mantra she often repeated. As well as when she got dressed, but again, two different species, he wasn't interested. Nor was she, really, she wasn't. There was no way for her to get lost in his eyes, no dramatic push down on her king-sized bed, no way for either to hold each other in a passionate embrace. Not that he seemed even slightly romantic, he was protective even when it wasn't required, and he was annoyingly insistent on her safekeeping.

Lucy wanted to be held, wanted to share her first kiss and first...well...other things. She wanted to have children and grow old with the man she loved. Natsu certainly wasn't going to let her leave any time soon, so the hopes of her having any of that, unfortunately, began to dwindle away. She was, of course, grateful for him and the things he had given her but felt empty without the close warmth she needed. The warmth of a human.

The dragon noticed her near-constant sighs at one point, curious as to why Lucy seemed upset. He had made sure to give her everything she needed, so what could have possibly been the problem? He asked her one night as she was lazily brushing her hair, eyes practically blank as she stared into her mirror. His words shocked her out of the little trance, Lucy waving him away and mumbling how everything was alright. He pressed her for more, annoyed that she wasn't honest and blew hot smoke.

"It's just," She started, standing from her vanity to turn to him. "Have you ever been in love? You know, with a girl dragon? Or have you wanted someone to love?"

He tilted his head curiously, the only one he knew or that even lived around him being his cousin, Wendy. Sure he loved her but 'in love'...

"Dragons don't fall in love," He answered honestly. "We have a mate."

"A mate?" He nodded and began explaining what Igneel had to him so many years ago. A mate was someone a dragon was destined to be with, someone they would find one day without even realizing it. How their instincts would show them the way and allow them to understand how to take care of their significant other. Their scents would mix together to ensure no other dragon would approach casually, their magic stronger when they were together.

Lucy was fascinated by the story, though found it that much harder to explain her needs to him. She instead chose to tell him a story about a young princess locked away in the highest tower, far away from anyone able to hear or see her. And how the prince spent his life looking for her, both of them finally finding each other and sharing an embrace so magical, it created One Magic. It was a short and slightly corny tale, one that Lucy's mother had told her, vaguely expressing herself to Natsu.

"Is love what you want, Lucy?" She turned away with a heavy blush, pouting as she shook her head.

"I want…a hug,"

The next morning, Lucy found herself warmer than usual. It wasn't an uncomfortable heat, it was soothing and pleasant, wrapping around her and holding her close. She moaned into the feeling, pressing closer to the source, smiling contently as her cheek made contact with the breathing chest.

"Eh…?" Her eyes were quick to open, and she pulled away from the arms around her, shrieking at the sight of a pink-haired stranger in her bed. She scampered out of the sheets, turning to alert Natsu of the intruder, surprised the red beast was not on his usual perch in front of her.

"Natsu! There's an intruder, Natsu! Some freak is in my bed, where are you?!" She shouted into the air, yelping as the man groaned and heaved himself up from her mattress.

"Gosh, Luce, you don't need to scream so much," He yawned, stretching his arms above his head and standing up, smacking his lips and scratching his chest. She eyed him as he turned to face her, faint scales adorning his cheeks and the sides of his abdomen, short black horns poking out of his unruly hair. "I'm right here."

"B-But you're human!" She shrieked as he began to walk towards her, Lucy running to hide behind a shorter pile of clothing. She could feel the intense blush present on her face, positively embarrassed by the sight of his bare chest, never having seen a man without his robes before. He huffed, crouching down to her level, Lucy peeking out between her fingers as she hid her eyes, Natsu conjuring a small flame in his palm.

"See? Or do I need to turn back into a dragon for you to believe me?" He gave her a crooked smile, attracting the blonde into lowering her guard.

"I didn't think you could shapeshift," She breathed as he helped her up, walking them both back to her bed. "Is this how you prepare my meals, then? I always thought it was strange when you have such big claws."

"Jus' a secret, couldn't let you know about my weakness right away," She nodded slowly at his logic, staring at his hand as he pulled her back towards and into her bed, Lucy confused as he was instant to cuddle.

"It's about time to get up, isn't it?" She never really knew the time of day, always stuck inside and all. But Natsu could smell the sun and moon rising, weird but she chose to accept that as well.

"It's only dawn," He mumbled into her hair, Lucy flushing as his breath traveled against her skin. "Aren't you tired?"

"Tired or not...I don't think it's appropriate to sleep so closely with you," She frowned and pushed herself away, sitting up to meet Natsu's grumpy expression.

"Why not? You said you wanted to be held, am I doing it wrong?" The maiden huffed and hid her face, glad that he had already dimmed the flames so that he couldn't see her embarrassment.

"That's not what I meant at all! It's improper...!" She refused to give in as Natsu growled lowly, Lucy matching his glare with one of her own. It wasn't as scary to challenge him in this form, she was glad.

"Then what is it? You're mine, I can hold you," He was clearly annoyed, sounding more like a child whining for his toy. Lucy scoffed and stood back up, walking away from him with crossed arms.

"I don't belong to anyone," She spat and refused to turn around, the dragon cracking under her words and steaming with anger, possessive instincts taking control. His roar thundered against the walls, Lucy cringing as it vibrated through the mountains at her side, still refusing to meet his gaze.

Bile seemed to rise up his throat at Lucy's rejection, his chest steaming for answers, wondering what to do next. He had given her all the things she wanted, went as far to lay carpet through his caves for her to walk on, fed her, even tried to hold her as she had asked for.

Nothing was working if she didn't understand how much she meant to him, how precious she was to him. He whined like a puppy, brain-scrambling as he reeled through his thoughts, unable to think of how he could please her. She continued to walk away from him, Natsu getting up to chase after her.

The blonde felt kind of guilty, hearing Natsu whimper like she had broken his heart. She glanced to see that he was following her, eyes desperate as they begged for her return, Lucy stopping as he caught up to her. He was silent, hands itching to caress her skin, wanting to swallow the scent he knew was sweeter than sweet. He wanted to admire her up close, run his fingers through her hair, and treat her just as gently as the rest of his hoard.

"Am I only a possession to you?" She asked, voice only above a whisper. "You treat me like a doll, not a girl. Let me go outside, let me voice my opinions! Is that so hard? Or do you only keep me for my hair?"

"You…" He could not finish the sentence. He was worried if she would see the sunlight and run off, back to her home and away from him. She was his, he knew, but not as a possession, the word lost at the tip of his tongue. Her hair...maybe that was what he cared about at first, but her scent was intoxicating and melded well with his other things, he enjoyed how it lingered on anything she touched. He was adamant about taking care of her, but didn't know how; he wished Igneel had told him more about the difficulty of caring for a human girl.

She huffed and began to storm off again, squeaking as Natsu pulled her backward and against his bare chest.

"P-Put on a shirt, why don't you!" She sputtered, struggling for him to let her go, suddenly aware just how underdressed she was to be held like this.

"I'll do whatever you want, just please don't run away," He spoke into her ear, Lucy coming to a halt from her thrashing.

"Do you think I'm trying to run away from you?" Her eyes widened as he nodded, quick to turn in his arms. "Why in the world would you think that?"

"You're not happy here," He confessed, clenching his fist as he drew himself back. "You want to go home, don't you? To your king?"

"...I have no home to return to..." She went on to tell him how she arrived at his cave in the first place, a story that she hadn't intended on relaying the uncomfortable memories of. He was shocked, to say the least, grueling over the fact that her own father had been so callous. But with nowhere else to go and no one else she knew, Natsu felt his heart flutter with the promise of her stay.

"Please, let me hold you,"

After the reveal of his human form to her, Lucy had been upset with the fact that Natsu had hidden his ability for so long, especially since she let him watch her bathe and change without giving it much of a second thought. He brushed her off, simply not understanding why she would be so upset by that. Hadn't she been allowing him to admire what was his? He liked to see every bit of Lucy, she was delicate and curvy, had scents hidden in strangely delightful places that kept him intrigued.

She scolded him and forbade his entry in the bath when she was there, the dragon agreeing with a frown. He was allowed to take her back to her small room at least, something he enjoyed because Lucy wanted him to dry her off, a task that excited him as she was surrounded in his heat.

Natsu was especially bitter on the first day Lucy was out in the sun, the blonde intending on walking by herself. She had found a comfortable dress to stroll in and flats to accompany them, promising to stay on the marked path she had been brought along.

"It's not like you can't just sniff me out if you need to find me. Besides," She tried reasoning with him. "I don't want to see you go hunting. I'd rather not be near the blood spatter."

"Fine…" He grumbled, the blonde taking a basket along with her to collect any fruits or flowers she might come across. The dragon insisted that she yell for him in case she happened upon anyone suspicious, a hood tied around her head to keep from the worst of it.

She knew this path went unused, the bandit men speaking of its secret location, one they used to peddle women whenever they needed to. It made her cringe, but she was glad there wouldn't be anyone to bother her while she was out.

The sun was a bit blinding at first, but she was happy to be under its rays and in the fresh air again. It was not as though his caves were not plentiful with air, but the smell was unlike that of rich oxygen. It smelled hot, but not burning, neither did it choke her or was overwhelming. It was something she had come to be quite comfortable with.

She missed the sound of the wind rustling and birds chirping, delighted to find a patch of wild lilies she could dry and crush into a powder. Natsu had many soaps and elixirs, from where she didn't want to know. But they made her baths fun and soothed her skin with their scents, Lucy eager to make more of her own. Roses and peonies grew nearby as well, steering her from the dirt and onto the grass for her collection. She smiled at the thought of being able to float them in her water, mind wandering to her lizard-like guardian.

Now that his human form had been revealed, was she to think of him as a human or a dragon? He had insisted on holding her, nervousness pounding in her heart as she let him do so that day, even as shirtless as he had been. The warmth and feeling of another human was something she missed, and he filled the empty feeling in her heart in almost a flash.

His natural body heat had almost soothed her back to sleep, legs melting and practically begging her to drop her body weight so Natsu could carry her against him. She composed herself, and painfully tore away from him, making the dragon promise not to climb into her bed without permission from then on.

A soft rustle of a nearby bush caught Lucy's attention. Expecting to see a bunny hopping along its way, instead, it was a kitten who looked awfully tired and hungry, dirt caking his paws and fur to an extremely uncomfortable point.

"Oh, goodness, you poor little thing!" She gushed and knelt down to his side, the kitten mewling as he immediately cozied to her extended hand. He flashed his weary eyes that made her bottom lip quiver and press a hand to her heart.

"You're coming home with me, I hope that's alright with you. You need to get cleaned up right away, are you hungry?" The cat seemed to respond correctly to what she was saying, smiling as she settled him in her basket and finished gathering the things she collected. There were few patches of snapdragons and ginger root as well she found, both sure to make a pleasant, relaxing aroma.

She didn't bother waiting for Natsu to return as she wandered back into their home, his fire still lit to light her path through the caves. Lucy took the time to settle her flowers and other plants closer to the boiling lava to allow their evaporation to occur more quickly, turning herself to submerge the kitten in her washbasin, scrubbing him clean of any dirt to surprise her with a vibrant blue coat.

"What an interesting color, hmm? Do you have a name?" Lucy asked the cat who only meowed in response, laughing at herself for even thinking he could give a proper one. "Shall I call you Happy, then? I could use the company when Natsu has to go out,"

She left him on her bed as she fetched a small pan of milk and another with torn chicken. Natsu had been slow to introduce her to his kitchen because of his want to continue to provide meals, but she insisted on being more than capable of helping out.

Lucy smiled as she watched the kitten eat, having been starved for who knew how long. She hoped his parents hadn't missed him, it would be tough trying to find them if they were still in the woods. He soon finished his meal and yawned, the blonde cooing at the sight of him padding his feet to try and find a comfortable spot to lay. She picked him up and held him in her arms, the cat quick to fall asleep against her chest. They both ended up taking an afternoon nap, Natsu not at all pleased when he returned to see another animal purring against what was his.

"What's that doing in here?" The dragon asked as Lucy stirred, a deep scowl present on his features. The maiden rubbed her eyes, his address of her kitten terribly annoying.

"That? He's a kitten, Natsu," She frowned, holding the still asleep animal in her hands.

"That's no kitten," He rolled his eyes, taking the cat and holding it by the skin of his back. "Don't you know an exceed when you see one? Shapeshifters, rare and dangerous."

"He's not dangerous, he's a baby!" Lucy smacked his hand and took the blue creature back as he woke up, eyeing Natsu as he continued to glare at her pet.

"Babies are never dangerous, Luce." He scoffed, flushed with anger as she continued to hold him close. Natsu was never allowed to get that close to her… "I don't want it here,"

"His name his Happy, and he's staying whether you like it or not,"

And Happy was begrudgingly allowed to stay, Natsu unable to say no to his treasure. She seemed happy and so did Happy, warming up to both her and the dragon in no time flat. He was rather calm for a wild animal, not so much as scratching without given a reason as to why. He wouldn't be able to shapeshift correctly until he was more mature, which kept Natsu at slight peace when he left the two alone.

"You have to protect Luce while I go hunting, alright?" He would say to the exceed who in turn nodded in approval, obedient to stay by her side. The two had an understanding this way, though Natsu was still bitter as they slept together; Lucy would barely so much as allow his hugs. The envy in his heart was building up gradually, the need to adore his golden woman overpowering on some days.

On a day the rain fell hard upon the earth, and Natsu had gone out hunting; the cold traveled subtly into the caves. Natsu didn't want her going out unless he was with her in this kind of weather, his senses duller against the curtain of water. Lucy took it upon herself to mix in a plethora of ground flowers and roots into a warming bath to keep herself from freezing.

She experimented with several items collected from her walks, still trying to find what best suited the either. Happy would curl himself on the edges of the rocks surrounding her as she soaked, enjoying the warmth of the steam as it rose. Today she tried a mix of roots with saffron for a light scent she was sure would mimic the rain.

Her soak was accompanied by faux sounds of thunder and pelting droplets gathered in a mental playlist for herself to enjoy, the warmth of the water always almost enough to lull her to sleep. She excused herself from the pool when she became too sluggish, her steps out not consistently confident.

Her legs were quick to buckle, and her breaths became shallow, Lucy nervous as even the air felt sensitive against her skin. An unfamiliar heat pooled in her stomach and brought her to her knees, the blonde whimpering as she fell against the carpet. Happy was immediately curious and made his way over to the girl, unable to understand anything but her insistent mumble to find Natsu. The cat, they learned, could easily sprout wings and fetch things if need be, his abilities coming particularly in handy this time around.

Heat unlike Natsu's consumed her form, attacking her pleasure center with a soreness Lucy couldn't handle on her own. She had never touched herself before, fingers quaking as they loomed over her swollen folds, whining as she chose to do nothing but wait for her dragons return. She rolled onto her side, glaring at the powder she had created for this bath; an accidental aphrodisiac. Even more potent in its concentrated form, the flowers and roots made her itchy and beg for help to relieve herself.

Natsu was panicked upon his return as Happy came flying through the fog and rain, communicating enough to relay that Lucy was in trouble. He left the vegetables and milk he gathered at the entrance of his home and rushed through his caves to find her, instructing Happy to put away whatever it was just stolen.

"Luce!" She struggled to heave herself from the carpet, Natsu's arms quick to wrap around and hold her up. She flinched as he inspected her for wounds, sighing as he found none, her skin itching for more as his rough fingers grazed against her ever so slightly.

"N-Natsu…" His eyes grew wide as he noticed her flushed appearance, towel loosely wrapped around her frame, a sticky pool emerging from in between her legs. She tugged at his arm desperately, too embarrassed to say what he already knew. "I m-made s-s-something for my bath, I-I'm––p-please…"

His chest swelled as tears pricked the corners of her eyes, arms pulling herself into his with a hug. Her aroma was intoxicating, drove him crazy with its overpowering scent. He growled lowly as she bared herself to him, only going so far as to act according to her instructions.

"J-Just here," Her soft moans filled the bathing room as his hands softly groped her chest from behind, thumbs running over the peaks of her nipples. She was too afraid to let him see her face as she felt the massage helping her along.

Natsu gulped and licked his lips, fighting to keep himself from what he wanted to do to her. He had imagined being able to service her, wanting nothing more than to be able to make her feel good, to administer massage when she felt uncomfortable. He wanted to see her in all her naked glory, to flush her with compliments over her intense beauty.

Lucy felt Natsu's breath on her ear as he squeezed her breasts, thumb occasionally rolling over the pert peak of her nipples. She cried out with every movement, feeling more tortured than satisfied as her stomach continued to twist. She hoped it would have been enough to calm her down, already incredibly embarrassed to ask Natsu for something so intimate.

"N-Natsu…" She moaned, her back pressed to his chest, watery eyes turning to gaze at his flaming ones. His breath hitched, eyes on the curve of her lips as she spoke delicately to him, nodding without hearing the question. Lucy took his hand in hers and led it between the softness of her thighs, positioning above her melting core.

"You want me to…?" He swallowed a thick breath as Lucy nodded, her bright face red as she avoided his gaze.

"Please..." She hiccuped, overstimulated, and unsatisfied as the mixture continued to torture her body.

The dragon felt his sanity slipping away at the sound of her sweet moans, his middle finger pressing against her clitoris as he blindly became familiar with her entrance. The sensation was enough to push her to the edge she'd been dancing around, body shuttering as she hunched over, clinging to his arm as he pushed down on her button.

He sat frozen behind her, listening to the hitch in her breathing as she still clung to his arm, unsure if he should say anything or leave her to calm down for another moment.

"Are you okay?" He asked in a quiet whisper, his free hand rubbing circles against her bareback.

"It still," Natsu flinched as she shamelessly turned around and fell into his hold, teary eyes and flushed cheeks begging him to listen to whatever she needed. "I-It still hurts...it's so hot, Natsu…"

"Again…p...lease..."

The dragon hastily carried Lucy to her bed, leaving the humid air that might have continued to affect her dramatic condition. She pulled the towel to still hide her chest, nervous as Natsu settled between her legs, her back against the headboard. He gave her a look as his hands held her mid-thighs, the blonde nodded nervously and forced herself to look away from the scene.

He could feel the fire rising up his throat, scales shaking out and patterning his skin as his dragon became excited by her concentrated scent. Natsu tried not to feel too excited as he came closer to her puffy center, seeing just how irritated her skin had become for it to push Lucy to beg for relief.

He'd thought of grooming her before, never understood why she bathed so much when he could get her clean with a bit of licking. He wouldn't lie about being just the tiniest bit jealous when Happy selfishly took her cheek for himself, patching the annoying cat's scent over her own. Natsu's was the one that should have been there.

"You're beautiful," Natsu sighed softly, his hands full with her thighs, his smile spreading in soft attempts to calm her down.

"Thank you..." Her bottom lip sunk roughly against her teeth as his lips torturous started their assault on the length of her thigh. His sharp eyes met her watery ones as he lowered himself, hovering over her center as he still hesitated to continue.

"I'll stop when you want me to, when it feels better," Lucy closed her eyes and shuddered as his fingers lightly molded her slick petals, massaging them again and purring as she twitched and spilled more for him. His tail grew and swished at the first taste of her cream, eyes turning hungered and fierce as he yearned for more. Her wanton moans and sweet cries accompanied the writhing and squirming of her body around him stole his possessive mind and spurred his want to continue her pleasure and relief. He lost himself in her erotic flavor and the attention to her swollen essence, his dragon overly satisfied to be able to share this closeness with his treasure.

The blonde woke up bleary-eyed and dreary in what felt like the middle of the night, her body still tingling with the remnants of her concoction but the brunt of it had worn off. Natsu's attention to her had helped a great deal as well but left her with nothing but embarrassment. She pushed the blanket away that he had at one point covered her with, as well as dressed her in pajamas. Lucy flushed and scanned the dimmed room for the dragon, his body missing from the pile of gold he usually slept upon, Happy had returned to her side and asleep on his usual pillow beside her.

"Natsu?" Lucy called out, her heart bubbling against the silence and anticipation for the dragon to appear. She yawned and swung her legs out from under the fur, taking weak and wobbly steps down the carpeted path in search of him. Her thoughts were collected and slightly elevated as she remembered his sweet nothings and patient but eager touches. She ambled down the hall and noticed the dimmed lights grew brighter toward the entrance of the bath, where the dragon probably was.

"Natsu? What are you doing?" She asked, staring at his back as he crouched over her small pool, spreading fire over the surface.

"Cleanin' the powder out of the water, it should be good to go now," He said as he stood up, craning to crack his back after being bent over for such a long while. "Are you feelin' better?"

"Yes, thank you for helping me," Her voice was quiet and she suddenly felt incredibly meek under his gaze, trying to ignore the sudden attraction to him she felt. The lights were dim and the room was warm, he was in his element and she'd begun to see him as much more than a cranky and serious dragon.

"I'd do anythin' for you, ya know," Natsu offered a brief smile as he held her hand loosely, rubbing circles into its palm. "Let's get you back to bed,"

Lucy was a whole mess of emotion after that night, her impression of Natsu dramatically renewed. Suddenly he was kinder and gentler in her eyes; she saw that when he instructed her to stay inside as if it was truly for her safety and not his controlling attitude. She watched him play with Happy, teaching him small tricks and trying to explain the process of transformations since he could become any being he wished if the kitten only knew how. And when he cozied up to her while she read, she was suddenly aware of how silken his scales felt, how the end of his tail would curl softly around her ankle, and how loud his purrs were when they rumbled through his content self.

Lucy felt nervous one night as Natsu dimmed the lights, his massive dragon form curling up upon the pile of gold he slept on.

She pulled her covers close to her chest and lied back on her pillow, stiff and unable to fall asleep. Something burned its way within her, a greedy want she was afraid of feeling.

This awareness persisted whenever she dressed in the morning, when she undressed for a bath, when she bathed in the makeshift basin, or when she was carried back to the room and dressed for bed.

Natsu's eyes weren't allowed on her, as she now knew that he was human, she didn't want him to stare.

Had it been because of the intimate taste she was exposed to? Was this what all girls felt when they were touched so erotically by a man? The lingering desire for more waned within her.

She wanted to know his kiss felt and to feel his hot breath, to melt in his arms as he held her so close to his body, to feel his warmth as he spread it onto her skin with every touch and bite and thrust.

It didn't help either that he happened to be so busy the week she began feeling so needy for him. It'd be getting colder soon, so it was important to stock up on food before their supply got low.

Wherever he retrieved it from was his business, and he took Happy along with him, leaving Lucy by her lonesome. They'd return late and after supper, always going straight to bed after hauling in their day's collection.

Lucy was unable to voice her issue, rather embarrassed that she had been feeling something like this at all. The time they touched was purely an accident and the result of a friend helping out another friend.

The burning sensation of overstimulation she'd given herself truly hurt and felt only soothed after Natsu provided the attention she needed. Even though this sensation now felt as though it was burning, there was no pain, only the rising beat of her heart whenever she saw the dragon walk bare-chested and with such authority.

Even if she feigned ignorance, Lucy knew what this was. Lust, desire, appetence, or more simply put, she was horny.

Lucy had always been creative with her mind, thoughts of faraway lands and dreamy princes saving their darling princess turned into dark dreams where a certain moody dragon gave her the absolute business with his primal essence. Her dreams of his touch and his body pressed with hers...did not seem so wrong.

Nor did it help when she compared him to the men of her kingdom. They were posh and snooty and wanted her body for their own pleasure. While Natsu was a raw and sexy energy that held scars from battles. The rough skin of his hands proved he had worked hard to become the man he was today. And a man as muscular and dauntless as he would take his time to thoroughly satisfy his maiden.

Maybe those books she had read weren't the most helpful in her current situation now.

Lucy had no intention of leaving this place as she had been discarded by her family and sold like a cheap piece of meat. Natsu cared for her, protected her, and he didn't want her to leave either.

Who would be there to sate these desires, now if not later in life? No other man would dare step foot in the cave of this beast, leaving only the two of them for the rest of her life, along with Happy of course.

She pondered these thoughts in the library, wondering what this could do to her relationship with Natsu, wondering if she wanted this, wanted him only for a day or loved him enough to be his for life.

As she sat alone again one afternoon with her nose shoved in a book, Lucy failed to notice the dragon that had walked in as he looked down at her with mild interest.

"Who are you?" He asked, snickering as the blonde girl shrieked and tossed her book in the air before looking up. This was not her dragon.

"W-Well, who are you?! Who do you think you are barging into someone else's home?!" She yelled back, trying to regain her composure after being scared so easily.

"Oh, you live here? Isn't this Natsu-nii's house? Still smells like him," The dragon asked, turning his nose to sniff around the room as he sat perched in front of Lucy.

"Natsu-nii? He went out for the day, are you his brother?" She asked with a gasp, feeling a bit excited to meet someone else after so long.

"No," He laughed, his chest rumbling as he did. "I'm his cousin, Sting. Are you a princess? Is that why you're here?"

"Something like that," Lucy shrugged, smiling as she reached out to let Sting's snout. "It's nice to meet you, Sting,"

"You're a real weirdo, you know? What kinda human isn't scared of a dragon she just met?" He wondered, though his tail swished as she continued to pet him.

"I've been around Natsu long enough," She said with a smile. "But did you need something that you made the trip out here? Natsu won't be back until tonight if you came to see him,"

"Um…" Sting had just flown by on a whim, looking to play fight his cousin, though now finding a way he could piss off that dumb overpowered fire lizard. "Not really, nothing important anyway. Mind if I hang around with you?"

Lucy was having fun, strangely enough. Natsu wasn't much of a conversationalist and Sting proved to be just the opposite. He engaged her with stories of a younger Natsu who had been much more of a soft and energetic boy. He would cry a lot whenever his father left their home, never seemed to be able to stop playing once he started, and almost burned down half a forest with a simple sneeze.

It felt good for her to laugh and talk, so much so that her throat was becoming sore with overuse.

This reminded her of the times she had tea with her maids or talked with acquaintances she knew in the ring of nobles around her.

Sting turned out to be blonde as well, with sharp blue eyes and an interesting taste in style.

There were other cousins of Natsu's that existed too, Wendy who she was especially excited to meet, and Gajeel who also happened to be keeping a woman in his home.

Natsu returned late with Happy asleep on his head, a sack of rice and another filled with vegetables. He flew the items into the coolest cave meant for food storage, tiredly rolling his arms and shoulders as he made his way down to his hoard.

His nose was quick to catch the scent of another dragon having been through his halls, fire rising in his throat like lava spewing from a volcano.

His wings carried him towards the library where he expected to catch his blonde cousin that left a smelly trail of light throughout his home. The scent wafting in the air told Natsu that Sting had sat here for a while with Lucy, doing only Mavis knows what. The trail took him to his room, annoyingly enough. Natsu would go to that idiot's place and melt all his gold if there were dare anything missing from his collection.

"Oh, Natsu-nii, you're home!" Sting whispered with a smile as he laid Lucy onto her bed, the princess fast asleep. He fumed as his cousin approached him with a smirk and eager gaze, avoiding the fire fueled punch that aimed to mark his face. "O-Oi, it's late! What're ya tryna do, wake the girl up?!"

Natsu glared as he looked to Lucy who only moaned and turned onto her side, continuing her even and steady breaths.

"What did you do to her?" He growled, Sting, rolling his eyes at Natsu's dramatics.

"Calm down, I just brought her here after she fell asleep. She was real tired after all the playing around we did." Sting snickered, avoiding Natsu's next punch as he skittered towards the exit.

"You're so easy to tease! Lighten up, all we did was talk, she got tired after dinner." The younger dragon laughed before waving and making his exit. "She told me to come by some time for tea, so I'll see you, Natsu-nii!"

Refusing to lighten up at all, Natsu rushed to Lucy's side after settling Happy on a random pile of rugs. He pushed her hair out of the way, double-checking the crook of her neck to make sure his playful cousin hadn't taken a joke too far. He breathed a sigh of relief seeing that his treasure was free from any bindings but cursed knowing that Sting would be back.

The dragon learned that at this point, Lucy would do what she wanted to do, no matter how many times he begged her not to. So if she wanted to see that lame-ass again, she would, no questions asked. Not that Natsu hated having Sting around, he just didn't need that loser cozying up to his girl was all.

Jealous, jealous, jealous, oh Sting knew Natsu was jealous. He could smell it in the air like ripe dew on morning flowers. It had been a week since his first arrival, choosing to visit half for the pleasant conversation and the other to watch his cousin fume as they talked over tea.

Sting had Yukino, a forest fairy he'd loved since childhood, so Natsu really had nothing to worry about. But watching Lucy laugh and have fun talking and smiling with someone else made his heart ache terribly. He wanted to take out that frustrating feeling on the idiot who dared pour his treasure a cup of tea with the gaudiest smirk on his lips.

He wanted to scream at her to stop, to look at him, to smile at him. He curled up like a whining child instead and avoided the topic, knowing there was nothing he could say to easily monopolize Lucy the way he wanted to.

Each time Sting visited, Lucy felt an affirmation of her feelings come to light.

Love was never the same for each story, everyone learned to have these feelings in different ways; there was no one definition of it. It was surely only the beginnings of it for her, but the warmth she harbored in her heart for the fire dragon was different for, say Happy or Sting.

The blonde whispered to Happy one night, instructing him to sleep on the far end of the cave and quite a ways away from her bed the night she worked up the courage to make a move on her dragon.

It happened after her bath when he left her to change behind the separating partition. She dropped her towel and picked out a nightgown that clung to her hips and accentuated the curve of her breasts. The color was red, like him and his fire. She left her hair down, its freshly dried softness alluring to just about anyone.

She stepped out, revealing herself to the dragon still in his human form.

"Natsu," Lucy called to him as he sat high above her on his gold. She forced a look in her eyes, as well as oddly curling her lips, having taken some tips from several romance novels, selecting similar raunchy scenes. "Can you come down?"

He floated to her side without protest, arms around her waist as she wrapped her own around his neck.

"Tonight...won't you hold me?"

Okay...so maybe Lucy should have been more specific with this oaf. She forgot the many definitions of 'holding', though not to say what he did was terrible. He laid by her side and held her, his chin resting upon her head. He seemed content, liking the close contact, although wishing she would scratch him behind his ear like she scratched Happy.

"Natsu," Lucy sat up, glaring at the blank-faced dragon. "Didn't you get what I meant?"

"What do you mean? Am I holding you improperly?" He asked, confused by her frustration.

"No, it's not that," She sighed, running a hand through her hair. She huffed, trying to think of the right words, but maybe it would be faster to example with actions.

She laid into him as he sat forward, blushing as her chest was pressed so naughtily against his. Her blush skyrocketed as he looked down at her, still unable to properly grasp her intentions.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, positioning herself embarrassingly in his lap. Her chest heaved with slow pants as a red blush baked color onto her cheeks. Her moistened and dainty lips pressed against Natsu's less than expectant ones, the peck only momentary as she pulled away in seconds.

"Do you get it now?" Her voice was barely a whisper but he was able to hear her loud and clear. The dragon stared at his precious princess, eyes glazing over the redness of her cheeks, the vibrant red lace that hid her voluptuous body and accentuated every curve. He could smell the stirring of heat within her, as subtle as it was. Was she...allowing him to satisfy her?

He didn't bother with words, instead choosing to kiss her again. It was soft and warm, a touch able to calm Lucy's nerves.

His hunger picked up; soon it wasn't enough just to feel her lips upon his, he needed to feed a starved and crazed passion. Lucy was subdued by the dragon's instincts, his lips searing over her own in the next moment, leaving either without breath.

His hands held her face close to his, their lips moving in sync, both moaning and panting, pink borders bruised with abuse. Natsu let his tongue slip first, its eagerness coaxing Lucy's to join the game of spit swapping.

His mouth was hot, saliva akin to lava as it slathered onto her tongue. He fed her each kiss, each tangle of their tongues, his dominance reigning supreme as she slowly became victim to his venom.

His hands slipped down to her bosom as they sucked face, Lucy moaning into his mouth as he squeezed her roughly. She knew her chest was sensitive, even more so in the roughened hands of this beast who tamed her.

"Natsu…" Lucy mewled as he left her corrupted mouth, a thin string of saliva following him as he claimed her neck. She moaned and toiled her hips as he bruised her sensitive flesh, wanting him to rip her clothes off and handle her chest with his bare hands.

Fire worked better in this situation, Natsu searing the cloth from her skin as he bit the softness of her décolletage. Her nipples were hard and pink, softer than he expected they would be.

"Does that feel good?" He asked as he attended to her chest, her back arched as his mouth molded over the velvety button.

"Mhm…" She moaned, delirious as the heat between them created a hazy fog for her mind to wander in. His hands and his mouth were so hot, but she could stand it if the were hotter. "Can you use your fire?"

Natsu stopped his onslaught of kisses, looking up from his place in between her breasts. Her chest heaved with every breath, his Adam's apple bobbing in his throat as he gulped.

"Please?"

The dragon had no right to refuse a request from his maiden, light flames licking his palms as he massaged her heavy tits. Her eyes widened, feeling the heat sear and blister its way down to her bones, warming her in a deluge of sensual waves.

"Oh...Natsu, like that! Just like...that!" She crooned, greedy for the attention that he willingly gave her.

The scent that wafted from in between her legs blinded him, aroused him beyond the extent he knew was possible. He was rock hard and rubbing against her forbidden center that spilled the finest wine he'd ever had the pleasure of drinking.

Lucy couldn't wait for it anymore, and she knew by the look in his eyes he couldn't either.

He laid her down, pushing her legs to rest at either side of him as he pulled his pants below his manhood.

Lucy shook nervously as she stared at his massive self, not sure if she'd be able to take the entirety of his cock into her virgin parts.

"Tell me if it hurts," He said, positioning his staff in front of her sodden entrance. She nodded, taking his hand in hers as he entered her slowly.

He stretched her, but it didn't hurt. She felt his flames relax her muscles, coat his length to forcefully increase her heat tolerance. He felt warm and filled her lovingly, carefully, just as Natsu had always been with her. She looked at him lustfully, staring down his sweaty abs, and into the golden eyes of the dragon that looked over her.

He snapped his hips, her eyes widening as the new sensation thundered throughout her body.

"A-Ah…!" Lucy felt tears prick the corners of her eyes as he created a steady pace, the feeling of him buried so deep in her so strange and new.

"Are you okay?" He asked, worried as one tear rolled down her cheek.

"I'm fine," She nodded, encouraging him to keep going. It felt more right than good, more perfect than pleasurable. She wanted to hold him and kiss him and let him stare at her whenever he wanted to. She was his possession, his doll, his canary that he'd never let out of its cage.

Natsu's skin riddled with scales, each movement of his hips, fulfilling his since long-ago desire to give Lucy such deep satisfaction. He was properly taking care of her now, surely. She'd let him groom her, dress her, keep her locked away in his hoard of amazing possessions. She would reign supreme in this small makeshift kingdom, work him till his body ached, all for her pleasure.

He gripped her hips as he pounded into her, every moan and scream music to his ears. His horns curled atop his head, fangs growing as he neared his end.

He needed to mark her, claim her as his and simultaneously be claimed as hers.

"Can I have you?" Natsu asked in between breaths as he pumped his length into her, over and over again. "Please...let me have you,"

"I'm...I-I'm...!" Lucy gasped her back arching, hand fisting the sheets she laid on as he breached the entrance of her womb. "I'm yours! I'm yours, Natsu...!"

His teeth sunk into the junction of her neck, spilling a fire hotter than the flames he'd used before. Lucy's blood felt molten as he emptied his seed into her, triggering her own climax as they jolted together.

Overly tired and all too relaxed, Lucy was quick to fall asleep in Natsu's hold, them both sticky with sweat and spunk as they lay together and fell asleep in this new bond.

When they woke up the next morning, Lucy was pleasantly comforted by the dragon, his lips pressing light kisses to her bicep. He purred and nuzzled her form, warming and lulling Lucy back to sleep. They stayed in bed for hours that day, Natsu's heat keeping her soothed and delirious with sweet snugness.

She couldn't be sure if he ever went to sleep, her eyes opening to his sharp gaze every time. He wanted her to rest and so she did until her body required the need to move around.

"Natsu...I'm really not tired anymore," She sighed, blushing as the dragon held her close to his chest, refusing to let her go. "Will you at least let me take a bath? I'm sweaty and my legs are sticky,"

"You smell like our love," He refuted and brushed the hair that fell on her face out of the way. Her stomach twisted as his soft grin schmoozed her antsy emotions. "I don't want you to wash that scent away,"

"Mou…" Lucy whined and hid, embarrassed and buried under the blanket. "Don't say things like that…"

"It's true, you smell wonderful," His purr rose steadily in his throat, eyes flashing gold as she peeked out from under the blanket's edge. "Stay with me, just a little longer, please?"

His kind and cuddly demeanor smothered Lucy's want to leave his side, her past encounters with neglect wanting her to wean off of his zoned attention. Lucy's head fell against his chest, her heart beating wildly as his hand ran gently up and down her back.

She was unable to calm her heart even in this relaxed state beside the dragon. The warmth of his body and the aroma of his sweat made her stomach bubble with odd happiness.

Her plethora of emotions were not in any sense manageable as she tried to muster a coherent thought. All her mind could cling to was the feeling of Natsu's mess still sticky on her legs and dripping from her center. It only proved to entice her more unabashed contemplation, reminders of how lovingly the dragon held her the previous night resurfacing.

Pressing a light kiss to his chest, she smiled as she felt his skin shiver. Another and another against his defined pecs, pink nipples surprisingly sensitive under the assault of her tongue.

Natsu grumbled and hissed as she toyed with him, a giggle rising from her throat when Lucy caught sight of his embarrassed expression.

"Natsu…" She mumbled his name, scratching at the base of his skull as she looked into his dimmed eyes. A fire felt as though it was burning in the pit of her stomach for the boy, that her newfound hunger for him that might prove to be beyond satable. The flames twisted and burned bright when he tightened his hand on her hip, yellows and reds coiling around her heart. They reigned their strength around her insides, pulsing and begging to be met with the very real heat of its mate. "If you don't want to leave the bed...would you clean me up?"

The beast was quickly covered in scales, tail swishing, horns growing from bursts of fire that encased his form. To be offered the chance to groom his beloved treasure, Natsu had wanted nothing more than to be the one to lick her clean, to lace her in his scent and absorb hers.

The sour mess between her legs glistened underneath the flames lit amongst the cave walls. He held her legs apart as he nestled between them, the heft of her thick thighs in his heated palms.

The dragon took his time, carefully starting from the still slick fluids that clung to her inner thighs.

"Watch me, Luce," His breathy voice met her red ears, her gaze turning from the expansive cave above to his golden eyes guarded by surrounding dragon scales. She watched his tongue lap at the clear expel of her own pleasure that had mixed with the slightest of his own flavor. He moaned as he cleaned her legs, never taking his eyes off the blondes.

When faced with the cream pie he so generously fed her before, his tail moved to hold one leg steady and left a hand free to attend to her full self. He bristled with pride at the thought of his accomplishment, how he was able to give her so much of his seed. It was too soon for them, but surely one day she'd birth his children from the love they created together.

He spread her lower lips with two fingers and watched his spunk squirt slightly from her convulsing walls. Lucy held her breath slightly as she watched him dip a finger into the white substance, subtly popping the tip between his lips. The raw taste of himself was tempting and oddly alluring, the bitter flavor mixed with her creamy and sweet one.

Plunging his tongue into her honeypot, his eyes rolled slightly as the sexual acidity made him shiver with delight.

Lucy moaned and crooned, embarrassed and loud as she continued to be captured by the lust-filled gaze of her wild partner.

He gulped and swallowed the bitter hotness that spilled more with every movement of his tongue. Natsu toyed with her clit, his thumb rubbing slowly against the hardened bud. His beloved twitched and mewled to the rhythm of his torture, steam pouring from his nostrils as their taste continued to flow down his throat.

The dragon felt his own hard-on throbbing the more he cleaned his semen from her, precum spilling from his head and creating a second mess.

Lucy was unbearably close to another climax, tears at the corner of her eyes, her hips grinding against Natsu's lips. His breath was ragged as he lifted from her wet center, his treasure whining at the loss of his tongue. He sat up to reveal the long and thick twitching dick, Lucy's heart fluttering at his seductive words.

"May I take you again? Luce, I need you,"

She was a sucker for his romantic side, words like those in the cheesy books she couldn't get enough of.

The blonde nodded and blushed as he took ahold of her hips, squeaking as she felt his extra appendage squirm and tighten around her torso. His tail was warm, the scales silky instead of rough, the end lying in the valley of her breasts. The tip of his rain molded around her chest and toyed with her nipples, the buds sensitive to his torment.

He aligned himself with her reddened and abused entrance, sliding into her with ease. Lucy moaned as he filled her again, the sensation of his tip pressed against the entrance of her womb blissfully lewd.

He pumped into her, one thrust and then two, small movements of his hips pulling salacious sounds from the maiden in his grasp.

His control into her was gentle and gingerly, Natsu taking the time to watch the bounce of her breasts and the tossing of her head. He pressed a hand to her stomach and felt his length moving within her.

"You're so beautiful," He panted, eyes glued to the sweat on her skin and the bend of her neck, the blonde unknowingly offering her junction to the sharp canines he sported.

"...really?" She bit her finger as his hips cracked more intensely, raising the speed as he felt her tighten around him.

"Gorgeous, ravishing, my flame," He groaned, bending over as he picked up the speed of his hips again, fucking her fervidly as he spoke into her ear. "Even more so with my fire in you,"

"Oh, Natsu…" Lucy arched her back and met his chest, his tail still assaulting and squeezing her lithe globes. "Faster, faster, I'm...I'm gonna…!"

Natsu roared as he released, her tight pussy milking him for his cream. They twitched and writhed together as they came, soft moans and wails filling the emptiness of the air.

The dragon obediently carried her to the bath this time around, Lucy too tired and sore to walk on her own legs. She was most definitely going to need to stay off her feet after the rough taking of her first time.

But instead of settling her in the hot spring fashioned for her bathing needs, Natsu made his way towards the lava that flowed on the opposite end of the room.

"E-Eh?! N-No, wait! I'm not a dragon, I won't live if you put me in there!" Lucy screamed and squirmed, trying to fall out of the mad man's grasp. He only chuckled and kissed her forehead, soon standing at the edge of the pool. She could feel the hot air rising from the molten liquid, its heat positively singeing the skin on her back.

"You're mine, now. My kin, my fire burns within you, silly,"

"That doesn't really explain anything, I'm not sure what you mean by that!" Lucy said quickly, eyes wide as Natsu took a step into the lava.

"You can't get burned by anything, it's impossible," He said as if though such a thing should have been obvious to her, Natsu slowly lowering her in his hold. "I promise, you'll be safe,"

Lucy shut her eyes tight, squealing as she felt the volcanic goo engulf her legs, Natsu allowing her to stand upright. She gripped his forearms tightly, opening her eyes to see that she had yet to catch on fire, her body shaking from the fear she still harbored.

"Oh...wow…" She was flabbergasted and amazed to be alive, positive that in the next moment she'd melt under the slow current.

"How do you feel?" He asked with a small grin, keen to see her submerged in his hot liquid.

Lucy took a moment to breathe, following Natsu as he led them to an edge they could sit upon. She squealed again as the lava rose to cover her shoulders, her breaths quick and unsteady. It was akin to the hot spring, but the heat was obviously more blistering. It didn't hurt, she noted but began to seep into her skin unlike the water of her bath.

The heat burned its memory into her body, Lucy panting shallow breaths as she felt it enter her. From her toes to her neck, it felt as though fire crawled up the surface of her skeleton. The warmth was demanding and satisfying, filling her with a sensation she didn't know she missed. She'd been so cold up until now, not knowing she needed this sensation so badly before. It was unlike when she begged to be touched by Natsu's flames, the lava much more intimate as it held her.

Natsu purred as he watched her submit to the intense heat of the lava, her arms reaching out as if she wanted to hold the flaming beast against her.

The heat crawled up her spine and arched her back, Lucy falling victim to the bliss and desire of such raw sweltering incalescence. She didn't pay any mind to the dragon at her side, eyes closed as she felt stimulated by the voracious compulsion.

Her hand slipped between her legs, the other grasping at her weighty chest. She keened at the attention of the forcible nectar that danced around her. Her skin buzzed with want, her hand moving, rushed in its attention to getting her off.

The dragon watched, perverted eyes gazing at his queen, her beauty exceeding its possibilities as she toyed with herself. He felt his length harden at the sight of her, his own hand attending to himself instead of interfering with her experience.

Natsu loved to see the immediate relationship she created with the lava and to see it aim to satisfy her as much as he wanted to. He licked his lips and groaned, wanting nothing more than to kiss her now and pour his fire into her belly.

The warmth made its way up her body, branding her, marking her with its powerful sway. The urge to sink herself under the surface was overwhelming, her body unable to resist the urge to do so.

It wasn't hard to breathe, rather, her need to take in the lava through her lungs felt necessary.

With her fingers still toying with her clit, her sodden entrance was exposed to the sway of the current. The stream came to life, coaxed by her beautiful figure. It wrapped around her upper body, searing an odd kiss against her pink nipples. Lucy threw her head back as a thick thread of the sentient liquid gushed into her folds, filling her and spilling into her womb. She gasped as it wriggled inside her, heating foreign and cold parts. Her lips parted and a similar length floated down into her stomach, branding every inch of her with its inhuman temperature. She came as it squeezed her, another bond formed as she gave in to the pleasure.

Lucy breached the surface and rose on quaking legs, both spent and sore but craving what the heat impassioned her with. She fell into Natsu's arms and grabbed onto his hardened cock.

"I n...need more," She lamented, the dragon growling as he captured her lips. Sat in his lap, she drove herself down on his dick, ejaculating again as soon as the lava entered her along with him.

"It wants you," He grinned deviously, pride swelling in his chest as she clung to him and twitched on his dick. "You're drawn to it, aren't you? Do you feel it inside of you?"

"...yes...I-I...oh, Natsu, I...love it." She hastily kissed the dragon that held her close, his lips hot and burning as he activated his own powers. His stream entered her, Lucy needy to swallow every flame he poured into her.

This sacred ritual would keep his mate in constant need of his attention, his thick rod pounding into her as her skin burned and became one with molten fluids.

Turned onto her knees, Natsu held her hips up as he pushed into her pulsing tresses. Her head was underneath the current, lava entering her, filling her stomach and lungs, replacing air with the element of her lover. Both ends of her body thrummed with pleasure, the heat spreading through her desperately. Her hand reached out to hold the formless body of lava, but felt it respond and wrap around her, massaging and nuzzling against her wanton skin. It kissed her and caressed her, feeding her needy desires.

Their bunny-bumping period ceased to end for the foreseeable future. Happy locked himself away in the kitchen as the two hogged the bed, raunchy noises failing to quiet for weeks.

Lucy hadn't known what had gotten into her, but she couldn't stop. Her body craved Natsu's, craved to be held by immeasurable amounts of heat. Fire and warmth called to her like a siren to a sailor, fucking and pounding her senseless with its indulgent energy. Even while she slept, she could feel the spirit of the flames and fire stimulating and ravaging her deepest and most sensitive parts.

Her dreams were filled with Natsu's kisses and bites, his touch and torture. She dreamt of the lava and its sweet embrace, the hammering waves of its phantom body that desired her satisfaction. She dreamt of a crackling campfire that burned before her, smoke curling as it rose into the night sky. The brightly colored flames called to her, beckoned her to reach out and touch it. The maiden would do so without a thought, gasping as it immediately took hold of her body. The fire climbed up the length of her arm and consumed her body, licking and rubbing against her skin.

She'd wake up with heavy pants and a beating heart, a whine following close behind as her real-life satisfaction had yet to be met. Lucy life's her nightgown to find a mess between her legs, one the dragon's morning wood would eagerly have for breakfast.

The two were drunk on love, Natsu completely enamored by the sweet taste and sight of his mate being claimed by the worked-up and sinful streams of torridness in his wake. She might as well have become a wisp of fire herself with the way she responded so tenderly to its touch. The hellish blaze of her flames licked down his body and left a trail of embers that stung his skin, hungry to ignite the kindling resting deep in his soul. The marks she left on his body filled him with gratification, the constellation-like pattern a sight that offered him pleasure.

When the exit of their haze became visible, Lucy was unable to understand half the things that happened to her. The call she heard from the fire that she couldn't resist seeking out, the way lava now held her and became breathable, or the overzealous need for her to cling to the dragon. These things were either very out of character, or impossible to have even occurred by any rational sense.

She turned to him one morning, his arms wrapped tightly around her.

"Natsu?" He grunted in his half-awake state. "What's happened to me?"

"Whaddya mean?" He yawned and snuggled his nose into the hair atop her head. "Do ya feel sick or somethin'? I don't smell anything on ya,"

"No, it's just that I never used to feel so...lustful before. Isn't this strange?"

"You became mine," He shrugged, again speaking as if she knew the meaning behind his words. "So yer body learned to match my own drive,"

"Yours? Because we slept together?" He shook his head and laughed, picking himself up from the bed and taking the blonde with him. They stood together in front of her long mirror, Natsu lifting up her nightgown just below her belly button.

"Haven't you seen this?" He hummed, pointing out the colorful mark that rested above her panty line. It was a swirl of reds, yellows, and oranges, that made up the proverbial tattoo. A flame that had marked her as theirs.

"I never noticed it...it's beautiful," She smiled and ran her thumb over the mark, Natsu grinning as he watched her through the mirror. "Is this why I feel so attached to fire as well?

"I marked you as my mate the night we first made love," He hummed and placed his hand over hers. "My element calls to you because of that. It wants to give you all the things as I do,"

"How...romantic," She giggled, sighing happily as Natsu pressed a kiss to her temple. "What does it mean now that I'm your mate? Is this how dragons date?"

"In a way," He shrugged, turning her around to face him. "But I will never love another person in this world as much as I love you. And I will never leave your side. You're my girl till the day I die, Lucy."

Lucy fell into his chest, hiding her burning features as he held her. That was the first time he'd ever said he loved her…and in such a profound way at that.

"I love you too, Natsu," She mumbled through her hidden face, flushing as he took her in his arms. "And I'll always be here for you,"

"...I never thought fire could be so...seductive on its own. Is it really alive? I thought only you could control it."

"I can, but if I light it and let it burn, it'll do its own thing," He said, tilting her gaze to view the candles that sat high above them. "Like those, can you hear their voices?"

Lucy blushed as she zoned her ears in on the tiny array of flames that stoked in excitement when she looked at them.

"I can't believe...this kind of thing is too…" She held her cheeks that burned in embarrassment, turning away from the unknown spectators.

"They're real naughty cuz they know what ya like," He snickered, Lucy slapping his arm with a huff. "Do you want me to show you? I bet ya'll really like it,"

"...sure," Lucy mumbled, rubbing her legs together subtly as she watched the dragon walk away. When had she become so brazen? She only acted so embarrassed since Natsu was watching her...but the words the wisps spoke were enticing and sweet. They liked what she was wearing, they liked how her hair looked in its tossed about state. And they were eager to curl around her body, to give her what they knew she wanted.

A lady should be embarrassed to hear those things, but she was no longer a woman of high society; it was flattering.

Natsu returned with a couple of broken picture flames, placing the sticks of wood into a small pile. He took Lucy's hand and stood before the stack, flicking a medium-sized ball of fire onto it.

The small fire began to burn and smoke curled underneath her nose. It reminded her of the intense dreams she had about fires like this before. She blushed as it began to speak, not her language, but something that was still audible to her. It knew she was wet, that she was intrigued. It asked for permission to please her, that it would be an honor to have a hand in satisfying its mistress.

Lucy looked to Natsu and he nodded with a smirk, letting her know that it was alright.

"O-Okay, go ahead," She mumbled to the burning embers, watching in awe as it slithered up from its source of energy. It climbed up her leg and settled around her thigh, Lucy twitching as she felt her panties burn away.

It brought her to her knees with a gasp as it entered her, burning her flesh and searing her skin. Natsu licked his lips as he watched her eyes tear up, the sight of her bonding making him stiff in his pants.

The flames were thick within her, sliding and scalding, touching every inch of her tight sheath. The blaze swelled and fucked her in its own way, Lucy moaning and mewling as her hips bucked. The fire in and above her began a mantra of sweet nothings, just as Natsu would have done if he were the one filling her. They admired her beauty and spoke words of love and affection. They spoke of the future and how excited they were to be with her. They beckoned her to come and adore them for a job well done.

Natsu stroked his cock as he watched Lucy melt within her own world again. Her moans fluttered within the air and seduced the dragon further. She was all his, his element's, a perfect seed that had grown to withstand immeasurable heat. She was blinded by pleasure, knowing now that only their touch was enough, that no one else could give her these things she now craved. She was accepted and loved and protected. This was her family.

Lucy pulled off her pajamas as the heat had made her sweaty, her hips still bucking as she made love with the fire. The remnants of it crawled up her body and embraced her curves, kissing her skin with feverous touches.

"Ngh…!" The princess groaned roughly as she came around the pulsing blaze, flinching as Natsu let out a roar of his own, hot cum splattering on her face. The flame died out as they both came down from their highs, the dragon falling beside his bride. She let out a breathy laugh as he gave her a half-glazed look, licking the spunk from her upper lip.

"Fire is...is so romantic…"

The days that followed their amorous encounters were...interesting, to say the least. Natsu was affectionate, maybe too affectionate at times. He wanted her to sit around while he did everything for her; cook, carry her to bathe or to the library, feed her even. His actions fought against her stubbornness and want to do everything for herself, because really this all was too much. But the other side of her that had been starved for this consecutive attention from a loved one, was endeared and happy to be doted on.

"If you want something, Luce, just tell me," He insisted as he stood at her bedside. "I don't want you moving around unless you need to,"

"Then, I'd like to go out for a walk,"

The tiny request reminded Lucy just how stubborn and hotheaded Natsu could be at times. He quickly flipped his shit at the idea of her leaving the caves, even more so now that they had bonded. He shouted and roared that she was his, no one could lay their eyes on her now.

"You need to leave anyways. We've gone through a lot of the food you stocked up. And poor Happy hasn't been getting the exercise he needs. I'll go outside whether you like it or not," She stuck her tongue at the dragon who continued to have a temper tantrum. Lucy ignored him and got dressed to leave, taking the worried exceed and a basket for flowers along with her.

"Luce, I mean it, I don't want you to—" Lucy smacked the hand that tried to grab her wrist, an annoyed pout gracing her lips.

"I'm not going through this with you again, Natsu. It's safe around here, remember? I just want to pick some flowers, they're not too far from the cave."

"But, L-"

"You don't want me to starve, right? I thought you were supposed to be taking care of me," She hummed and he growled but crossed his arms and accepted that he did need to leave for a couple of hours.

"Don't go too far from home," He warned as they stood at the mouth of the cave, underneath the sunlight. "And you keep an eye on her, Happy,"

"Yes, we'll be just fine," Lucy giggled and pressed a kiss to the broody dragon's cheek before he took off.

"Alright, Happy, let's go see if we can find some roses. I need to make some more soap soon," The kitten meowed eagerly, gliding in the air by her side, keeping his eye out for the bushes in question.

The small dirt road that led away from the cave and towards the woods brought back unpleasant memories of her captors.

In a way, she was grateful to have been stolen from her home. Otherwise, she'd still be meeting with random suitors, taking endless etiquette lessons, and be ignored by her father.

Now she had Natsu and Happy, who cared for her much more in this short time they were together compared to the years locked away in her family home.

She sort of missed the dragon clinging to her side, but he would surely insist on carrying her around and picking the flowers himself.

"We just need roses and cosmos, Happy," Lucy hummed as the kitten padded around on the forest floor. "And if you can find those herb bushes again, I wanted to pick some more marjoram,"

The exceed moved excitedly through the trees as Lucy took her time looking over every small plant that lined the trunks of the trees.

Her fingers brushed over leaves of mint and bushes of rosemary, a glare settling on the dangerous dragon nip that caused her to swell in the past.

She plucked from the fragrant patches of lemongrass and sour sorrel, filling her basket with the herbs she saw fit for her soaps or that could be used for their meals.

Happy flew back from time to time with flowers caught in his teeth, holding onto the stems and dropping them into the half-full basket. It was a simple process that took no more than an hour or so, making the blonde maiden scoff. Natsu really had nothing to worry about, and now she had enough foliage that would keep her indoors for another two weeks (per his probable request).

"Don't wander, Happy! We should go home for lunch now!" Lucy called after the kitten who zoomed off in the opposite direction, his nose attracted to a scent wafting nearby.

She rolled her eyes and followed quickly behind the distracted exceed, failing to notice the eyes peering over the bushes and settling on her back.

The exceed hid his wings and pranced in front of a bush, chirping and grinning as Lucy broke through the line of trees before him.

"Oh...oh, these are beautiful! They look just like flames!" She gasped excitedly, clasping her hands together at the sight of the flower buds. The petals were wavy and yellow, transitioning to a red that curled towards the sky. Their scientific name, unknown to the maiden was gloriosa superba, or flame lilies.

The scarlet color reminded her of Natsu's vibrant scales, making her smile. They would be a nice gift for the moody dragon, especially if she were to go on and on about how much they reminded her of him. Plus one sweet smile and a batted eyelash would be enough to keep him from moping any longer.

"Natsu's going to love these, let's g––" Lucy twitched suddenly, her body flinching and spasming without reason. She limply fell to the floor within the next moment, her basket of odds and ends spilling onto the ground. Happy cowered underneath the bush of flame lilies, scared eyes roaming over Lucy's features. Her eyes clenched painfully in her unconscious state, the shock that ran through her body still ping-ponging around within her.

"I can't believe it! The bitch, how the hell is she still alive?" The lightning user cackled as he stood over his former prey, examining the quality of her new clothes. "She couldn't have run off when that dragon turned his back, could she? And off to some nearby noble?"

"Sounds possible. I bet the dumb broad got a whole bunch of stuff after she flaunted herself around," Another bandit spoke up, using his magic to tie the maiden up. "Or else the dragon was playing dress-up with this bitch,"

"Pfft, sure sure, then let's hurry up before the scary fucking bastard shows up and breathes fire over the whole forest. I bet Dyst'll be happy to see her after so long." The third captor smirked madly as he heaved the unconscious woman onto his back.

The exceed hissed and jumped forward from his hiding place, his paws shaking with fear as he stared up at the gang of crooks.

"Aww, look," The lightning user laughed as he crouched down to the kitten's level. "I think the rat knows her. Tryna save your friend, huh, little guy?"

"Bad decision," He laughed again as Happy snatched his teeth onto the leg of his pants, baby fangs barely ripping into the cotton fabric. He rolled his eyes, not bothering to further waste his time messing with some whiny kid. With a flick of his wrist and a high-voltage coating, he thwacked the blue creature across the face and sent him flying into the solid wood of an oak tree.

"Quit messing around, let's go! If we leave fast enough, we can get to Carbuncle beofre nightfall,"

The dragon, off collecting in the opposite direction of the well-known kingdom, coincidentally took his time returning home that night. Gathering food and supplies was easy enough, but an alluring object captured his eye. It was a ring, the band golden, the large gem in the center a deep and auspicious red. A merchant was showing it off to anyone his words could reach, reeling in the dragon who was not immune to the wiles of greed.

It was in his possession not much later and resting within his pocket as he made the trip back to Lucy and Happy.

Though the sun had fallen from the sky and the moon was bright overhead when he landed, Natsu did not feel as though he was late. Surely Lucy was inside preparing dinner and chatting with her exceed, ready to tell him all about her wonderful adventure through the nearby woods. He would approach her from behind and wrap his arms around her waist, his chin falling tiredly on her shoulder. She would hum and continue to stir the stew, giggling as he buried his nose against the crook of her neck. And the nuzzle of his nose would turn into a soft kiss against her pulse, moving to her chin and then her cheek, to her lips as they tilted in his direction. And he'd want a little more, but she would pull away before the soup burned into a charred rock. But she wouldn't reject the offer to later mess around in the bath, he hoped.

He lugged the food in along with him and smiled at the thought, dumping it in the room where it belonged, before continuing to the nearby kitchen.

"Luce?" The dragon quirked a brow at the sight of the empty kitchen, no residual heat upon the stove nor the smell of chopped vegetables lingered. Natsu trained his nose to follow her scent, finding it strongest outside.

"You shouldn't still be out," He grumbled to himself, marching through the trees and hunting down his bride.

His quick pace brought him twenty minutes away from the cave, to an open part of the forest that replicated every other image of foliage he'd passed on his way there. The only outstanding anomaly was the pale wooden basket that laid itself, void of its contents, on the forest floor.

Panic rose almost immediately as he recognized it, concerned eyes darting quickly around.

"Happy!" He flinched and ran forward, falling to his knees to lift the beaten kitten into his hands. "Buddy...hey, can you hear me?"

The exceed mewled weakly and curled against the warmth of his palm, tears rolling out from the corner of his eye.

"Shit...c'mon, what happened? Where's Lucy?!" Happy remained knocked out, making the dragon spastic and frenzied. He brought the kitten to his nose, smelling the lingering foreign magic that still coursed through his body. It was bitter and staticy, reminding him of his most annoying cousin. Lightning and the ratty scent of the bastard that ran his darling treasure into his home.

"Carbuncle..." The dragon growled, smoke streaming out from the corners of his mouth. His nose caught wind of her scent fading into the west, followed by the shitty smell of her captors intimately wrapped around her own.

Lucy woke groggily from her forced slumber, her back aching and stiff as she shifted. She stared quizzically at the unfamiliar ceiling, the room lit with candles, silk sheets underneath her. The walls were covered in paintings, every inch of shelf covered with an extravagant sculpture or small knick-knack. There was an unlit fireplace and couches that surrounded its sides. The wallpaper was yellow, mahogany crown molding to match the four-post bed she laid upon. She looked down to observe her clothing, her dress gone and replaced with a see-through lace negligee.

"Where…" Lucy shuddered, not knowing where she was. One moment she was picking flowers and then…

She recalled the feeling of being shocked, the electricity that ran through her body. She gasped, covering her mouth and widening her eyes, fear hanging its coat on her shoulders.

"Those...those bandits…! They must have...so I'm in, no I can't…!"

She shivered and quaked, not knowing what would happen next. Her blood ran cold, the bit of her stomach extinguishing its brilliant flame.

Lucy looked at her hand and grimaced, seeing her skin turn a bluish purple at the tips. She was too far away from her sources of heat and who knew how long it'd been. She was out early this morning and it had barely been the afternoon when she and Happy were...oh, what if they'd gotten to Happy...

"Lucy, Lucy, Lucy," Her train of thought was interrupted, a man with light blue hair dressed in a cotton robe approaching from the entrance of the room. "It's been a while, I was expecting your arrival a lot sooner, I hope you know,"

"K-King Dyst?" He chuckled and nodded as she threw him a glare, the king shrugging as he stood in front of his bed.

"I know you must have been scared, all alone out there," He sighed and shook his head. "My men were worried about you, they made sure to bring you here safely, this time around."

"They…! You kidnapped me!" She shouted back, Dyst pouting a fake expression.

"Ara, ara, it seems like you forgot that you were mine the moment your father decided you were worth more than he's ever had in his life," He glared, stalking around the side of the bed. "I bought you, Miss Heartfilia."

"Release me at once! I have no intention of indulging your sick fantasies," The king only laughed at her outburst, cracking a twisted grin.

"You, my dear, have no choice. But don't worry, I'm a gentle lover. You'll be screaming my name all night, lovely Lucy,"

She flinched as he set his knee down on the edge of the bed, the blonde quickly scurrying away.

But before she could even make it off of the bed, her ankle was caught and she was dragged back towards the king. Looking to see him holding her tight, Lucy stared quizzically as he had yet to even place his hand on her body.

"It's impossible to escape me, my lady," He smirked as he crawled over her body. "You and I are going to have some fun,"

Lucy seethed with anger, readily raising her hand to slap the bastard silly. Her arm refused to move past her head, the limb struggling against gravity. Her eyes were wide and frightened as he laughed, the king slipping out of the upper half of his robe.

"Like I said," He whispered into her ear. "Impossible."

His kiss...oh how disgusting it was. Lips cold and hard, chapped and thin. They puckered against her own, trying to coax any natural behavior from the maiden. She refused to give him any response, her mind steeling itself from this experience. Natsu was coming for her, surely he was already on his way. She just needed to hold out for a little while longer…

"It's alright," Dyst hummed, forcing her mouth open with his magic. "I'm sure an innocent maiden such as yourself needs a lesson in these kinds of things."

His tongue touched her own, magic forcing her to kiss him back. He moaned into her mouth and suckled at her lips, every touch spreading frostbite through her skin.

The flames in the candles screamed angrily, how dare he touch and manipulate their mistress, how dare he mimic her lover and torture her poor soul. Lucy listened to their cries and screamed meantily along with them. He had no right.

The king ignored her teary and angered gaze, turning his attention to her still hidden body.

"It'd be an honor to be the first to kiss your bare chest," He laughed, tearing off her flimsy dress. But his eyes fell on the series of purple and red marks that still riddled her skin, remnants of Natsu's nightly routine.

"Oh…" He tossed Lucy with his magic, holding her against the pillows as he sat in his knees. "You slut. You're not a virgin, are you?"

"My husband…" Lucy began, only to cry out as she was silenced with a smack.

"Dreadful woman, the lot of you! You bitch, you wench! You dare take a lover when your body was meant for me!?" She screamed as he slapped her again, blood running from her lip as his ring cut her face.

"Where else have you been marked?!" She grunted and yelped as he turned her every which way, contorting her body to find every love bite and kiss mark that clung to her skin.

"Who touched my property?! I will have him beheaded!"

Lucy scoffed and spat at the lousy king.

"You could never...kill a dragon,"

Her snide remark only proved to anger him more, Dyst dragging Lucy back into his hold.

"Husband, dragon, whatever. You will never leave this castle, you are my concubine and you will be whipped for your crimes against the kingdom." He sneered as he held her neck tight in his grasp. "That is, after I've rewritten everything this puny man has scribed awfully onto your useless body."

His teeth sank into the heft of her breast, anger fueling his perverted movements. Lucy struggles and screamed for him to stop, crying out as the cold penetrated her body and snuffed out the weakening flame. Only Natsu could touch her like this, only Natsu could see her like this!

"My lord! My lord! It's an emergency!" The loud rapping of someone's knock beat against the door, the sound ceasing to stop even for a moment.

"I'm busy, you better have a good reason for interrupting me!"

"The kingdom is under attack, my lord! We must speak with you immediately!"

"Come in, then, you idiots!" The king grumbled his loud response, turning back to Lucy who panted and grit her teeth at him.

The door opened, a group of knights flooding in, looking exasperated and urgent. They approached the bed, gasping as the king had yet to cover his consort up.

"U-Um...your highness…" A shy one looked away from the beaten girl, subtly suggesting towards her indecent appearance.

"Pay no mind, this whore is used to gazes anyways," He shrugged, grinning wickedly at the poor girl. "Rather, I bet she'd love an audience."

Lucy struggled and attempted to scream, her vocal chords tightened and strangled as the king straddled her.

"Tell me what you want," He waved nonchalantly at the nights, spreading Lucy's legs with a grin.

"There...t-there's a dragon, your highness! It's in town, it's coming quickly, it moves too fast for us to stop it!"

"Do your jobs as knights," He shot back, not really paying their concern any mind. He only fondled the prisoner, stroked her thighs and spread her lower lips for the knights to see."I'm sure it's just a bear, you fools should know that dragons don't exist,"

"Instead, there are whores that cling to men for survival. Like this one. My men found her having affairs in the forest rather than returning to her rightful place in my bedroom."

"S-Sir—"

"Silence!" Dyst snapped, the knights gulping as they hung their heads. He maneuvered himself down her body, settling in between her thighs. She wasn't very wet, but he didn't care if she felt anything or not. Their relationship would be about his dominance over her, and she would learn her place.

The swipe of his tongue against her folds was enough to douse the flame within her, ashes falling as her heat died unwillingly. She couldn't move, kick, or scream, only endure.

But Natsu was here, surely he could smell her, surely he knew she was in danger. She couldn't stay awake for much longer, her body was far too cold, fingers and toes numb. The candles still screamed, unable to move and come to her aid.

The knights didn't know whether to run or continue watching the odd display of their king torturing a woman. He licked her and pushed his fingers into her, delighting only himself as she cried and made the sharpest of grunts, clearly on the edge of consciousness.

"I'm sure that Lucy here will feel right at home if I were to have you right here, in front of my knights,"

Her eyes weakly widened as he sat up, his boner pressing against the thin material of his robe.

_"Natsu...!"_

The ceiling fell in without warning, bricks falling and burying those who were unable to avoid the onslaught of rocks.

Dyst waved the debris away from himself, staring at the beast who snarled in his face.

Natsu stared at Lucy, desperate eyes zeroing in on his unconscious bride, her body sullied by the touch of another. Her flame dead and her skin paled. He carefully picked her up before unleashing his rage, burning the king to ash.

The dragon didn't care about anyone, as long as Lucy was safe.

He never cared for humans before, even less now that one had dared steal his most precious treasure.

The ruins of the Carbuncle kingdom were left in his wake, the flames of his anger consuming each inch of the castle. He ignored the plumes of smoke that rose and covered the surrounding village. They were all guilty as far as he was concerned.

Natsu sped through his home with Lucy in his grasp, anger still fresh in his heart, his sanity on the verge of collapsing.

He knew he shouldn't have left her alone, he should have killed those captors of hers when they first dared to enter his cave.

He shrunk to his half human form, eyes shaking with tears as Lucy shivered, her skin tinged purple and blue. She had been away from home for far too long, away from any real warmth. Her fire was out and the stench of another man clung to her skin. He cringed at the blood caked to her face and the bites upon her breasts.

Maneuvering through his caves as soon as he approached them, the dragon dropped her lifeless form into their pool of lava, simply waiting at the edge until she would be returned to him.

The lava held her and cried, unable to forgive itself for letting her get hurt. It would reheat her and heal her, strip away any scent that still lingered on her body. There was no way of knowing when she'd wake up, all they could do was wait.

Happy was away with Natsu's cousin, Wendy, the sky dragon taking charge of nursing him to health. He didn't want the exceed your come back to this loveless place until Lucy was better, Natsu unsure that he could properly take care of the kitten.

Sting came for a visit every so often, simply standing by the pool of lava for a short while, while Natsu ignored his presence. He couldn't understand his pain but missed Lucy well enough, her tea especially.

The flame of a dragon's mate dying out...it was nothing to joke about. It was what kept her alive for the most part, a vital source of her energy ever since she was marked. Natsu cursed himself every day for not being better, for not being home when he promised.

It felt like it had been months until her body rose to the surface again, scars gone and scents erased, her skin regaining its healthy glow. Natsu rapidly waded in to retrieve her still unconscious form, carrying her away to their bed in hopes that she would wake up soon.

He dressed her warmly and tucked her in under the covers, his anxiety churning as he still waited in anticipation.

"I miss ya, Luce...please wake up for me," He sighed, gingerly pressing his forehead to hers.

He held her hand and breathed gently, waiting until her body was ready. He could hear the gentle sway of fire within her, the steady beat of her heart; they were enough to keep him somewhat calm.

"...N-Natsu…?" Lucy's fingers twitched and she coughed, her throat dry and a bit sore. She wearily opened her eyes, Natsu dimming the lights so that she could adjust to the brightness.

"Hey, Luce," His voice was soft and his smile was watery, the dragon near tears as she sat forward.

"Oh, gosh...what, what happened? Dyst...he…" Lucy looked in panic towards the dragon, her hands hurriedly taking old of his. "I-I couldn't fight him off…! Natsu, Natsu, he…! I would have never let him, but h-he—!"

"Hey, hey, it's alright," The dragon quickly hushed her as she broke into tears, her chest rising with fear. He held her as she wept, cries muffled against his chest. Natsu grimaced as her body racked painfully, memories of that horrible night flooding through her mind. "It's okay, you're safe now, Lucy,"

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry...I should have never left home, you were right,"

"It's not your fault," He shook his head, looking into her pained eyes. "Those scum will never hurt you again, I swear,"

He held her tightly and stayed in bed as long as she wanted, Lucy refusing to let him go.

He kissed her and spoke into her ear on the nights she couldn't sleep.

There were days where she didn't feel up to eating either.

Lucy took comfort in Natsu's arms, forgetting the pain the king lashed upon her body. She drowned in his tentative kisses and sweet words, warm cuddles soaking into her skin.

She buried her trauma in his love, Natsu servicing her with devastating eyes. He could see the distant gaze she cast upon him, his anger barely satisfied with the destruction of the kingdom. She was drowning her emotion in sex, failing to recognize how to deal with her pain properly. It betrayed his better instincts to ignore her grief, but he steeled himself momentarily to do as he was told.

He helped her rebuild the weakened bond between her and his element, both overly worried and provided as much support as she needed. They held her carefully and loved her gently, their happiness built upon her achieved satisfaction.

"Natsu…" Lucy panted as the dragon kissed down her body, smoke creating a trail as it rose from his burning marks.

"Here, Lucy?" He asked with a slight grin, flushed as he was nestled between her legs. She nodded meekly as he held her thighs apart, fire coating his tongue before dragging it against her swollen bud.

Her fingers threaded through his hair, her back arching from the bed as she smothered him against her forbidden center.

The long and languid strokes of his tongue tortured and teased her towards the edge, Natsu filling her with three of his digits. She came into his palm, her loud cries of pleasure echoing in the cave of his hoard.

Natsu moaned as he lapped up the expel of her fluids, Lucy tiredly flinching at the continued attention to her twitching parts.

The blonde maiden sat forward, Natsu following her movements. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his sodden lips, the dragon growling at the domineering move. She left his lips too quickly, moving down the length of his body, riddling the surface with light touches.

He bit his lower lip as her tongue teased his nipples, Lucy flashing him a slight smirk as she rubbed her hand along the curved length of the boner that pressed against his undergarments.

"Do you want me to?" She giggled as he growled, Lucy, doing the honors and pulling down his pants.

Her cheeks burned as she slid her tongue down the curve of his cock, dragging it at slow paces, watching her dragon twitch and grumble. The tip was red and swollen, pearls of precum sliding down and hitting the plain of her tongue. She moaned, tasting the crude flavor, offering the sensitive head a little more attention.

The dragon threw his head back and groaned, painting as she began pumping her hand around him. He bucked subtly into her mouth, biting his bottom lip as she sexily gazed up at him. The empty hand took hold of his balls, the simultaneous stimulation of her lips and hands setting him off.

Lucy mewled as her cheeks puffed out slightly, her tongue sliding out to reveal the white fluid that coated her mouth before she swallowed.

"Fuck…" The maiden giggled as she climbed into Natsu's lap, sliding her wet folds on his still hard cock. "You're the sexiest, Luce,"

"Thank you," She grunted slightly, pushing herself down onto his length. Natsu stopped her hips as they settled again, his eyes meeting hers with a serious stare.

"You'll tell me if you're not feeling alright, won't ya?"

"What's that about?" She laughed. "I'm just fine, why do you ask?"

"It's just...we never really talked about what happened in Carbuncle. I don't want you to hide your feelings if you're scared," He sighed.

"Natsu, I was never scared of Dyst," She shook her head. What was scarier than the threat of abuse had been the loss heat that arrived almost instantaneously with her abduction. To have felt so cold, that her soul was on the verge of freezing, she didn't want to harbor that feeling ever again. "I want to stay warm. And you always keep me warm when we…"

She bucked her hips slightly, Natsu hissing as the feeling churned in his stomach.

"The fire and lava keep me warm like this too, so don't worry, I'm okay,"

"Okay,"

**~Epilogue-ish~**

It was truly no surprise when Lucy became pregnant, even she was expecting their child soon.

Lucy planned to surprise Natsu with the news, one day as he was out collecting food. It was hard to keep a secret for so long but ended up working out as Natsu had to take a two-day trip to find a specific kind of fruit that Lucy had been craving. She sent Happy off to play at Wendy's with her own exceed, Charle so that they would be alone to celebrate.

She noticed the bump not too long ago, Wendy confirming her suspicions with a thorough check-up. She was two months along, and they would be having a girl.

Tonight he'd be returning, and she could barely keep the secret any longer.

"I'm so excited," Lucy sighed to herself as she sunk into the pool of lava, goosebumps covering her skin as the intense heat settled around her. "I can tell you, can't I? Do you know how to keep a secret?"

The spirits within the current were eager to hear her share something with them, the current swishing as it grabbed her hand excitedly.

"Okay, okay," She grinned, letting a slight giggle slip. "I'm pregnant! Isn't it wonderful?"

The excited chatter of the lava filled her ears, a solid glob press against her stomach as if to feel the baby.

"It's not very big right now, but she's in there," Lucy grinned. "I can't wait to tell Nat––hold...o-on! A-All...all of a sudden––wha…!"

The current wrapped itself around Lucy's calves, pulling her legs apart in order to wedge their way between them.

"You don't...this isn't a way...to thank someone," She flushed, weakly falling prey to the heatwave of pleasure that expertly attacked her.

The spirits only laughed as they caressed her skin, fondling her breasts and entering her tight yoni. Lucy leaned against the wall, moaning and huffing as the thickness of the heat filled her over and over again until she willingly came for them. Part of her wanted to stay for more than one round, but Natsu would be home soon and there was still dinner to make.

She walked into the kitchen on slightly shaky legs, glaring at the candles that whispered indecent things to her.

"I'm just fine, I'd rather focus on making this right now," She pouted, ignoring their laughs and chatter, though they were just as excited for Natsu to come home.

It was his favorite, chili pepper-crusted pot roast with mashed potatoes and homemade bread rolls.

It wasn't long before she could hear the beat of his wings against the dirt floor and his vocal grunts as he heaved the collection of goods into the cave for storage. She pretended to be cooking absentmindedly as he walked in, her lips splitting in a soft grin as he wrapped her arms around her waist.

"Gosh, Luce," He groaned, burying his nose against the crook of her neck. "I missed ya so much, pumpkins are so dang hard to find,"

"Thank you for looking for them," She smiled, turning around in his hold. "Welcome home, Natsu,"

"Ya smell real good today," He said as he kissed her forehead sweetly. "Is that a new soap ya made?"

"It's made from fire lilies, do you like it?"

"Fire, huh? 'Course I do, nothin' smells better on ya than fire, Luce,"

"Thank you," She giggled and pulled away from his embrace. "Go wash up, will you? Dinner is almost ready."

It was hard to keep the secret throughout their meal, Lucy avoiding questions when Natsu asked what she was up to while he was away.

"I didn't go outside if that's what you're asking," She shrugged nonchalantly, hiding the fact that she went through the clothes looking for baby items or loose fabrics she could sew with. There was a wonderful and sturdy bassinet made from a dark wood that she found filled with small blankets and ribbons.

Natsu was starting to feel ignored as his mate so obviously danced around his questions and pretended not to hear him at times.

"Luce, come on, what's up?" He huffed, glaring at his bride who leisurely laid herself down in bed. "I know you're hiding something from me,"

"I just wanted us to finish dinner before I told you," She hummed and pat the bed for him to lay at her side. The dragon rolled his eyes and crawled into bed, puffing his cheeks as she giggled even more.

"Just tell me already, weirdo!"

"Okay…" Lucy smiled as she slid herself over to sit in Natsu's lap, taking his warm hand within hers, delicately placing it against her stomach. "I'm pregnant, Natsu."

The flames above chanted and squealed, congratulating the couple and voicing their excitement for the new baby.

The dragon was shocked, to say the least, his expression unchanged as he stared wide-eyed at his mate.

"You...we...a baby...really?" He asked, his voice breathless, chest rising slowly as he stared blankly.

"I had Wendy make sure," She nodded, lifting his hand to kiss the center of his palm. "It's a girl,"

"A…!" Lucy squealed as Natsu shot up, embracing her in his tight hold, hugging her as he peppered her face with a multitude of kisses.

"N-Natsu!" She laughed as he refused to stop, toppling them over until she laid on her back with him above her.

"Luce…" Lucy moaned softly as he kissed her lips, the puffy pink borders warm as they enveloped hers. "Jezz, Luce, I can't believe you didn't tell me when I got home,"

"It was a surprise," She smiled. "And I learned my lesson after I told those elements of yours,"

"Oh, yeah? What'd they do?" He asked with a sly grin, kissing along her collarbone, dragging his tongue lightly against her skin.

"They wanted to thank me," She sighed, biting her lip slightly as his hands found their way under her dress. "It was a nice gesture,"

"I wanna thank you too," He groaned, attaching his lips to one of her perky breasts. "I'm going to thank you every day until that baby is born, every flame, every inch of my element is going to thank you for having our child,"

"Don't...don't you think that's a bit too much," Lucy gasped wantonly as Natsu's hand snaked its way into her panties. He shook his head, moving to fondle the other hefty globe.

"No way. You're going to receive our love over and over and over again. You'll be way too beautiful, Luce,"

"...Care to tell me how you'll be thanking me?" She wondered, Natsu's vibrant and golden eyes pulling her in as he tugged off her underwear.

"I'll kiss you, right here," He said as he pressed his fingers against her already wet folds.

"What else?" She panted as he spread her legs, nestling his head in between them.

"When I'm done," He whispered against her inner thigh, purring as he looking into her eyes. "I'm going to turn you around and fit my dick so deep into your tight body,"

"Mhm..." Lucy mumbled, biting onto her finger as he slid two into her.

"And let my fire come in," His lips lightly pressed against her clit. "Maybe we'll all go take a bath together so you can feel just how hot I like to get."

"Just...just how many times in a day...do you want to thank me?" She groaned and rolled her hips as his tongue splayed against the hardened bud.

"As many times as you can handle," He groaned, feeling himself tighten below the belt at the thought of taking her so lewdly. "I know you know how to take a lot of love from me, Luce,"

"You better take me there right now, Natsu," Her back arched off the bed as his tongue swirled around the overly-sensitive button, the slow torture immediately needing replacement. "I can't believe what you say to me sometimes…"

"It's only the truth,"

_~Their child and her future brothers and sisters would live peacefully, these caves soon empty as the Dragneel family moved from place to place, traveling and experiencing what the rest of the world had to offer._

_Carbuncle was forgotten, and in its place, the Fire Village rose from the ashes. People that worshipped the dragon god, survivors becoming the ancestors that spoke highly of he who saved them all from the tyrant, King Dyst.~_

* * *

**tell me what you think! because this really HURT lol but I think it's pretty wonderful too**

**tbh this was supposed to be short back when I started writing it like December 2018? I wanted to post it around new years lmfao**

**i casually feel some shame in this so feel free to call me out**

**but every time I was about to post it, it just felt so unfinished and like a total scapegoat to not conclude it with a proper ending**

**lowkey thanks to mushi9 for telling me it was good too cuz I know they're highly regarded in the NaLu community ;-;**

**YOU'RE WELCOME CHILDREN**

**btw sorry I've been casually MIA lol, it was my winter break and I took classes over my whole ass summer so this is the longest I haven't had to do anything in like a year so I've been living it uuuuup **

**mostly playing video games that I bought and never had time for lawl**

**OH and I'm _taking commissions_ on my Tumblr! I'm charging 1 dollar for every 100 words **

**I'm just an FT writer, the only other fandom I've ever worked on was Soul Eater but that was back in like 2012 lmao**

**But aside from NaLu, I can work with other ships you may have cx**

**Although I have my limits; there are just some things I'm uncomfortable with writing**

**Please feel free to message me on here or on Tumblr!**


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